Rotary take-up for sewing machines



April 1953 R. H. VAN WAGENER EI'AL 2,636,464

ROTARY TAKE-UP FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed 0Ct I1Tl95O 9 Sheets-Sheet l imzenzozs, Ea mond H. 'llanwagener,

ssell Carmichael and Wfnau, d 1 Z :9

Z-%:J J/ l 7 5 April 1953 R. H. VAN WAGENER ETAL 2,636,464

ROTARY TAKE-UP FOR SEWING MACHINES 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 11 1950 all Carmwhael and April 28, 1953 R. H. VAN WAGENER ETAL ROTARY TAKE-UP FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed 001;. 11, 1950 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 0711726115024, Raymund 7% Fan Zlbgemr;

Russell Carmichael and Hank Ihrry 5 Z/% affaznzg A ril 28, 1953 R. H. VAN WAGENER EIAL 3 ROTARY TAKE-UP FOR SEWING MACHINES 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed 0%. ll 1950 Jnvenfom WW Raymond M BusseIZ' Garm w and flank Parry 5 j n? (lltfiozne y April 1953 R. H. VAN WAGENER EIAL 7 2,636,464

ROTARY TAKE-UP FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Oct. 11 1950 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 17.10? g9 Zvenfou Bayhondfllhn'lll 71 Russell Car-mic M April 28, 1953 Filed Oct. 11, 1950 .R. H. VAN WAGENER EI'AL ROTARY TAKE-UP FOR SEWING MACHINES 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 Ni g - Jaye/5026, Raymond W. Uan Zbfizgener Russell Carmichael and flank Parry aiiozneg R. H. VAN WAGENER ET-AL 2,636,464

April 28, 1953 ROTARY TAKE-UP FOR SEWING MACHINES 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Oct. 11, 1950 93 F 20 lg/LII J06 .94 5

ssell Carmichael a Wifnm April 1953 R. H. VAN WAGENER EIAL 2,636,464

ROTARY mmu FOR szzwmc MACHINES Filed Oct. 11, 1950 S S heetS-Sheet a Jm/"enfom usseZZ Carmichael an; N M1172 Parry Wdfnm 81/ J 7% fa a Zlifozneg R. H. VAN WAGENE'R ETAL ROTARY TAKE-UP FOR SEWING MACHINES April 28, 1953 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Oct. 11, 1950 Jnvenfo m W Carmichael I My .87 f 94mm,

l 9 w H m R a 0 w Patented Apr. 28, 1953 2,636,464 ROTARY TAKE-UP roe SEWING MACHINES Raymond H. Van Wagener, Stamford, Russell Carmichael, Devon, and Frank Parry, Trumbull, Conn.. assignors to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application October 11, 1950, Serial No. 189,528

22 Claims. 1

This invention relates to sewing machines and more particularly to improved take-up devices for the needle thread of such machines.

The invention has for its primary object to provide a simple arrangement involving solely a single rotary element suitably formed and disposed to cooperate with adjacently positioned thread-guides to control the needle-thread of a sewing machine in a positive and effective manner during the complete stitch-forming cycle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rotary take-up mechanism for a lockstitch sewing machine in which the rotary ele ment thereof comprises solely a single member preferably formed as a stamping of sheet metal shaped and bent into appropriate form such that the action on the thread is gentle, resulting in substantially trouble-free operation.

' A further object of the present invention is to provide a take-up mechanism of the character indicated wherein the component parts are judiciously formed and arranged so that the threading thereof is extremely simple and can be accomplished by merely sidewise introducing the thread through a suitable threading slot at the head-end of the sewing machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rotary take-up mechanism for a, lockstitch machine in which the needle-thread is controlled by a single rotary element having a cam-shaped thread-engaging edge, the rotary element being mounted on an extension of the needle-bar actuating shaft.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved needle-thread take-up mechanism in which the single moving threadengaging member is shaped so that during normal thread handling the thread does not traverse a path intercepted by a suitable thread-severing means, but in the event of thread-breakage changes the path of the thread such that it is cut and thus prevented from being wound on the thread-engaging member.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 represents a vertical sectional view ofa sewing machine embodying our invention.

- 2 Fig. 2 represents a left-end elevation sewing machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a front elevation of the head end-portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 represents a vertical section taken longitudinally of the machine, illustrating the actuat ing mechanism for the stitch-forming mechanism and the drive for the rotary take-up member.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but with the take-up guard removed and the machine threaded, the needle being positioned at the upper end of its stroke.

Fig, 6 is an elevational view of the take-up guard with its cover swung open, exposing the opening through which the thread-ends can be removed in the event of thread breakage.

Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are left-end elevations of the head of the machine with the take-up guard removed and showing the rotary hook diagrammatically, illustrating the position of the stitch-forming and thread-controlling elements at various points in the stitch-forming cycle.

Fig. 13 represents an enlarged front elevation of the take-up member, showing, when the thread breaks, the manner in which the thread winds on the take-up member and is thereby brought into the range of the thread-severing knife.

Fig. 14 represents a sectional view taken substantially along the line l4l4 of Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 represents an enlarged perspective view of the thread-severing knife.

Fig. 16 represents an enlarged fragmentary view of the thread-severing knife, showing the inclined sharpened edge against which the thread is pulled when abnormal winding occurs.

Fig. 17 represents an enlarged perspective view of the take-up member per se.

Fig. 18 represents the shape of the sheet metal stamping from. which the take-up member shown in Fig. 17 is made.

Fig. 19 represents a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a lock-stitch vertical axis hookmachine fitted with our improved rotary take-up.

Fig. 20 is an enlarged view partly in elevation and partly in section of the head end. of the machine shown in Fig. 19.

Fig. 21 represents a front elevational view, with a portion of the arm in section, of a zigzag lockstitch sewing machine equipped form of the improved rotary take-up.

. Fig. 22 is an enlarged view partly in'elevation and partly in section of the head end of the machine shown in Fig. 21.

Fig. 23 represents a top planview of the takeup member taken along the line 23-23 of Fig. 22.

of the with a modified In the selected embodiment of the invention, the sewing machine illustrated has a frame including a bed from which rises a standard 26 of a bracket-arm 21 terminating in an overhanging head 28. J ournaled for endwise reciprocation in the head 28 is a needle-bar 29 carrying at its lower end a thread-carrying needle 38. The needle-bar 29 is reciprocated by means comprising a stud 3| (Figs. 1 and 4) clamped at one end to the needle-bar and embraced by the lower end of a needle-bar actuating link 32 connected at its upper end to a needle-bar actuating crank-pin 33 secured in a counter-balanced crank 34 mounted on the end of a rotary arm-shaft 35 journaled in the bracket-arm 21.

Cooperating with the needle 3!], in the formation of lock-stitches, is a loop-taker 36 of the horizontal-axis rotary hook type and, as usual, performing a plurality of rotations for each reciprocation of the needle 3i). The loop-taker 3B is carried on the outer end of a hook-shaft 31 to the inner end of which is secured a spur-gear 38 meshing with a second spur-gear 39 secured on a rotary bed-shaft it operatively connected in any suitable belt 65' to said arm-shaft 35. It will be understood that the arm-shaft 35, through the belt 419', will drive the bed-shaft 4G in the same direction as the arm-shaft rotates, and that the 2-to-l ratio between the needle reciprocation and the hook 36 is obtained by the difference in size of the spur gears 38 and 39.

The work W is adapted to be advanced past the stitch-forming mechanism by a feed-dog 41 of the drop-feed type, the feed-dog M being carried by a feed-bar 42 pivotally connected at its rearward end to a feed-rocker t3 actuated in any suitable manner to impart work-advancing and -return movements to the feed-dog M. At its forward end, the feed-bar 32 is formed with a depending fork d4 embracing a slide-block carried on the free end of a rock-lever 45 operated in any suitable manner to impart rising and falling movements to the feed-dog 4!. Opposed to the feed-dog M is a presser-foot 46 secured to the lower end of the usual spring-depressed presser-bar d! which is vertically movable in the bracket-arm head 28.

In the embodiment shown, our improved takeup comprises a single member, indicated generally as -58, having a body-portion 49 which is fixed by screws 513 to a disk 5i secured for limited circular adjustment by the center screw 52 and the clamping-screw 53 and slot 5 to the enlarged end 55 of the needle-bar actuating crank-pin 33. Closing the head of the machine is a flat plate 58 (Figs. 1 and 4) centrally apertured to provide clearance for the rotating disk 5!. Interposed between the outer face of the disk 5| and the body-portion as of the take-up member is a spacer 51 the purpose of which is to provide a needle-thread passageway 58 between plate 56 and the take-up member 48. The takeup member 48 is fixed to the crank-pin 33 so that the center of rotation of the take-up member coincides with the center of the arm-shaft 35 and, therefore, the take-up member 48 and the shaft 35 rotate in a clockwise direction about a common axis and at a uniform angular velocity.

As will be seen in Figs. 17 and 18, the take-up member 48 is preferably made of a' single stamping blanked from sheetmetal and then bent into appropriate shape. The bodyportion 49 of the take-up member 48 is drilled and countersunk at 59 to receive the securing screws 58. Extending in a direction radially outwardly from the flat the body-portion 43 is a spoke-like projection composed preferably of a pair of arms 60 and BI which adjacent their free ends are bent or oifset backwardly out of the plane of the back face 6 3 (Fig. 14) of the body-portion it, as indicated at 32 and E3, and which arms at their free ends terminate in a bridge-piece '85 bent outwardly at substantially a right angle to the plane of said back-face 34. Projecting from the leading end of the bridge-piece (55 and bent back into substantial parallelism with and spaced from the bodyportion 429 is a curved thread-confining finger 66, and extending from the trailing end of the bridgepiece 65 is a thread-confining tail 6]. To effect an accurate control on the needle-thread during certain portions of the stitch-forming cycle, the arm 88 is formed with a curved elongated outer thread-engaging or controlling edge 69, effective during the taking up or stitch-tightening operation of the take-up, and the arm E5] is formed with an elongated outer thread-engaging or controlling edge ifl, effective during the giving up or thread-slackening operation of the take-up. The opening H intermediate the two arms 68 and BI is provided to reduce the weight of the rotating take-up member and thereby minimize the inertia efiect set up by said rapidly rotating take-up member. As will be observed in Fig. 1'7, the outer thread-engaging edge 69 of the arm 69 merges with the bridge-piece E5 to form a throat 12 and, at its other end, blends into a flat finger-like guard 13 which functions to prevent the needlethread-loop from flying oi the take-up member immediately after the position of maximum takeup is passed. It will be seen in Fig. 13 also that the outer thread-engaging edge to of the arm 51 forms with the body-portion 49 of the take-up member a thread-notch it, and that the bodyportion 39 at its pointed extremity 75 is bent inwardly and buried in an aperture 16 formed in the disk 5!, whereby the thread-passageway 58 between the take-up member 48 and the endplate 56 is spanned and the thread-loop is transferred from the back to the front of the take-up member during the rotation thereof, as will hereinafter be more fully described. The take-up or stitch-tightening controlling edge 69 and the thread-slackening controlling edge it are disposed on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the take-up and, at their narrowest point, the edges {59 and it are spaced apart a distance equal to at least one-half of the radial distance the throat i2 is spaced from the axis of rotation of the take-up, which, in the present case, is the longitudinal axis of the arm-shaft 35. This arrangement of the two thread-controlling edges has been found desirable from the point of view of accurate thread control. The spacing of the thread-controlling edges renders the take-up capable of exercising a good control of the thread and particularly so immediately following caston" of the needle-loop. By properly shaping the thread-controlling edges of the take-up, a relatively early stitch-setting time is obtained, and following this early stitch-setting time the needle-thread is quickly relieved of its tension, thus making surplus or slack thread available for' whatever tacking the operator may wish to perform. As may be seen in Fig. 11, the threadcontrolling edge 69 is arcuate and extends from the take-up throat 3'2 inwardly in the general direction of the axis of rotation of the take-up element and at stitch-setting time is' disposed so that, as shown in Fig. 11, the summation of the lengths of needle-thread from the thread-guide 83 to the thread-controlling edge 69'and from rangement of the controlling edge 69 is that at the critical stitch-setting time, the needle-threadloop can be in engagement with the edge 69 anywhere along its length without requiring more or less thread than would be needed if the needlethread-loop were located in the take-up throat 12. The flexibility thus obtained renders the take-up less critical in that the stitch is properly set whether or not the thread is located in the take-up throat 12.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the take-up member 48 rotates in a clockwise direction, and, that to facilitate threading, .the take-up member is disposed outside of the flat end-plate 56. To protect the operator against injury by the rapidly rotating take-upmember '48,

there is provided a cup-shaped guard 16 supported at its lower end on an upstanding bracket 1.1 detachably secured to the machine-head 28.

The open front face of the guard 1'6 is adapted to be closed' by a swing-out cover 18.

Operation The lead of the needle-thread T is from the source of supply to a thread-guide l9, threadtension 80, check-spring 8|, thread-guides 82 and 83, through the thread-passageway and over the take-up member 48, thread-guides 84 and 85 and thence to the needle 30. Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 7, the needle 36 at this point in the stitch-forming cycle is in its lowest position and the needle-thread T passes upwardly from the thread-guide 83 between the guard-finger 73 and the thread-controlling edge 69 of the arm 60, then behind the arms 60 and 6|, over the thread-controlling edge of the arm 6| substantially at the thread-notch 14, and thence downwardly across the front face of the take-up member behind the thread-confining finger 66 to the needle 30. It will be seen in this figure that the thread-confining finger 66 is preferably made long so that its free end-portion will extend beyond or to the left of the limb of the needle-thread-lo'op leading from the takeup to the eye of the needle and thereby pass in front of the needle limb of the thread-loop before the thread-loop becomes tooslack, thus precluding the possibility of the thread passing in front of the finger 66 and unthreading 'the takeup. It will 'be appreciated that the finger 66 should be quite long to take care of any excessiveslack in the needle-thread which might be present as a result of a skipped stitch. When the machine is operated, the arm-shaft and hence the take-up member rotate in a clockwise direction at uniform angular velocity, while the hook 36 rotates in a counterclockwise direction at the usual 2-to-1 ratio.

In Fig. 8 the parts are shown in a position after the arm-shaft 35 has turned through the first few degrees, the needle having cast out its threadloop and the beak of the hook 36 having just seized the same. In this position, the needlethread T is shown sliding down or outwardly along the thread-controlling edge 10 of the arm 6| which is dropping bodily downwardly to give up the required slack thread needed to satisfy the hook requirements. It will be appreciated that v the contour of the thread-controlling edge '|0 lengthwise of the arm 6| isimportant and that it stroke.

along in. the needle-loop expanding cycle. It

will be observed that the take-up arms and 6| have lowered to a position in which the needle thread T is quite slack, thethread-confining finger66 and the tail 6'! on the opposite ends of the bridge-piece functioning to prevent the needle-loop from falling ofi the take-up mem-v ber.

In Fig. 10 the parts are shownat the point in the stitch-forming cycle just prior-to the time when'the needle-loop is cast ofi the loop-taker 36. It will be seen by comparison of Figs. 8 and 9 that the take-up member has moved to the point where the needle-thread T is taut andimmediately following cast oif will start its thread takeup action. As a result of the tautness of the thread T, the same is drawn into the throat .12 at the junction of the thread-controlling edge 69 on the arm 60 and the thread-confining finger 66. The throat i2 is located at a point close to the periphery of the take-up member so that while the thread T is located in the throat, rotation of thetake-up member effects its greatest take-up action on the'thread.

Fig. 5 illustrates the next important position in the stitch-forming cycle. The needle-threadloop has been cast ofi. theloop-taker 36 and is being drawn up toWardsstitch-setting position. The needle 36 is at its upper end of the stroke. It will be observed that the needle-thread T is looped around the take-up arm 60 at the throat 12, the thread take-up action at this point being very rapid.

In Fig. 11, the stitch-setting position of the parts is shown. The take-up member in this position has reached the point of maximum takeup with the thread T still looped over the take-up arm 66 and in the throat 12. It will be seen that the thread lead to and from the take-up is in substantially straight lines, thus rendering the action of the take-up on the thread gentle and without any harsh jerks or pulls at stitchsetting time. It will be appreciated also that the offset portion 62 adjacent the outer end of the arm 60 functions to assist in retaining the needle-thread in the throat 12 for a slightly longer period than it would if the offset were not present. The advantage of retaining theneedlethread-loop in the throat 12 is the more uniform setting of a tight stitch.

Fig. 12 discloses the needle 36 just before it enters the work W on its next work-penetrating The thread T, which is looped over the thread-controlling edge 69 of the arm 66, travels sidewise slowly lengthwise of the thread-controlling edge 69 in response to the turning of the thread take-up member and to therecovery of the check-spring 8 The thread T is thus maintained under light tension until just before the needle 39 penetrated the Work. This is advantageous because the limb of needle-threadleading from th take-up to the work cannot drop down before the descending point of the needle and be fouled thereby. Immediately upon the needle point entering the work suflicient slack is given to the thread as is needed by the needle to complete its penetration. The stitching cycle is then repeated beginning with the parts in the position. shown in Fig. 7.

In rotary take-ups there is the problem of thread-winding in the event of accidental threadbreakage; To prevent the thread from being formed on the fiat plate '56. Also the threadguide 83 is adapted to be attached to the vertically yielding presser-bar IB'I so that more or less needle-thread is allotted depending upon the thickness of the work traversed.

Another type of sewing machine in which the present needle-thread take-up has been embodied is shown in Figs. 21 and 22. This machine is a lock-stitch zigzag machine in which the needle is vibrated laterally across the seam line and the cooperating loop-taker is journaled on a horizontal shaft which is disposed so that the loop-seizing beak of the loop-taker rotates in a plane transversely of the line of feed. Re ferring to Fig. 21, it will be seen that the needlebar I09 carrying at its lower end a needle I II) is journaled for endwise reciprocation in a vibratory frame I I I pivoted substantially at its midpoint to the head 28 of the machine. The upper end of the vibratory frame III is connected by a pitman II 2 to a suitable adjustable eccentric I I3 driven by reduction gearing from the rotary armshaft II I. Reciprccatory movements are imparted to the "n'eedlebar I09 by means of a link H5 connected at its upper end to a'needle-bar actuating crank I I6 secured on the front end of the rotary arm-shaft II I. Cooperating with the needle III] in the formation of lock-stitches is a loop-taker I ll of the rotary hook type which is carried on one end of a horizontally disposed hook-shaft II8 journaled in a saddle II9 so that the longitudinal axis of the hook-shaft is'arranged parallel to the line of feed. The hookshaft II8 has fixed on it a gear I20 in mesh with a gear I2I twice its size carried on a rotary bed-shaft I22 driven by ab'elt I23 from the'armshaft II4. Through the mechanism just described, it will be appreciated that the hook I I1 rotates twice for each reciprocation of the needle.

Like the other machines disclosed in the drawings, the rotary take-up element 43 of the zigzag machine is mounted on the extension of the needle-bar actuating crank I I6 and rotates about an axis coincident with that of the arm-shaft H4. The take-up element for the zigzag machineis similar to that used on the two straightaway stitching machines hereinbefore described,

excepting that the finger and tail proiections which function to preclude accidental unthreading of the take-up are formed as a continuous thread-guarding loop I 24 (Fig. 22), the central aperture I25 of which provides a clearance opening through which access may be had to any severed thread-loops which may be entangled on said take-up following thread breakage. As will be observed in Figs. 22 and 23, the thread-guarding loop I24 is provided on the take-up element beyond that portion on which the thread operates, and is formed by folding or bending back the extended loop into spaced parallelism with the thread-engaging portion of the take-up. It will be further seen that the loop I2 is extended to a point located on the opposite side of the axis of rotation of the take-up to that of the thread-engaging portion and that this extended portion is enlarged, preferably widthwise as at I26, to provide a weight mass for counterbalancing the rotary take-up element. The threadcontrolling portions of the take-up element are substantially the same as those of the previously described take-up elements and therefore like reference characters have been applied to those portions. 7

It will be obvious that byv forming the threadguard as a closed-loop I24, the possibility of injury to the operation is minimized by the elimination of the pointed finger and tail projections. To further protect the operator against injury by the rotary take-up element, there is provided the stationary guard I'2I which is fixed.

by screws I28 (Fig. 21) to a supporting bracket I 29 fast on the machine head 28.

' From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention contemplates an exceedin ly 'simple form of rotary take-up element which effects a very nice control of the needle-thread during the entire cycle of operation of the takeloop-taker beak. Immediately following castoff, the needle-thread-loop is taken up and at a sufficiently rapid rate such that the expanded loop is caused to slip off the beakwithout delay. Bythe use of the herein described take -up, it

has also-been possible to advance the stitchsetting: 'point' and thereafter give up thread quickly to" provide slack thread to be used, if

necessary, in tacking.

. 7 While an illustrative form of the invention has been described in considerable detail, it will be understood that numerous changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts may be made, withoutdeparting from its principles and scope as defined by the accompanying claims.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invena thread-carryin needle, means for reciprocat- 1. A sewing-machine having in combination,

ing said needle, a rotary hook cooperating with said needle to form lock-stitches, means for rotating said hook at a uniform angular velocity twice for each reciprocation of said needle to cause it to seize loops cast out by said needle ,and pass the seized needle-loop around a lower thread mass, and a needle-thread take-up and slack thread controlling mechanism coordinated with said needle and rotary hook, said mechanism comprising a single rotary element operable about a fixed axis and having an elongated thread-engaging and -controlling portion which is arranged substantially normal to the plane of rotation of said element, means for directing the needle-thread transversely across the plane of rotation of said single rotary element, and. means forimparting acomplete revolution at a uniform angular velocity to said rotary take-up element once for each needle reciprocation.

2; A sewing machine having in combination, a thread-carrying needle, means for reciprocating said needle, a rotary hook cooperating with said needle to form lock-stitches, means for rotating said hook at a uniform angular velocity twice for each reciprocation of said needle to cause it to seize loops cast out by said needle and pass the seized needle-loop around a lower thread mass, and a needle-thread take-up and slack thread controlling mechanism coordinated. with said needle and rotary hook, said mechanism comprising a single rotary element operable about a fixed axis and having an elongated thread-engaging and -controlling surface of varyingradius from the axis of rotation of said element, thread-guides for directing the needlethread transversely across the plane of rotation of said single rotary element, and means for imparting a complete revolution atuniform angular member is rotatable about a fixed axis, and

mounting means for said rotary member including a disk having a slot and a'clamping' screw extending through said slot.

711. In a sewing machine having a reciprocatory thread-carrying needle and a rotary loop-taker coordinated therewith and making a plurality of revolutions for each reciprocation of said needle, a rotary take-up mechanism of which the takeup member comprises solely a single rotary element operating about a fixed axis and on which the loop of needle-thread slides sidewise inwardly toward and outwardly away from said fixed axis for the thread-slackening and stitch-tightening operations, and means for rotating said single take-up member at uniform angular velocity about said fixed axis.

12. In a sewing machine having a reciprocatory thread-carrying needle and a rotary loop-taker coordinated therewith and making a plurality of revolutions for each reciprocation of said needle, a single rotary take-up member rotatable about an axis and on which take-up member the loop of needle-thread slides sidewise inwardly toward and outwardly away from said axis for the thread-slackening and stitch-tightening operations, and means for rotating said single take-up member at uniform angular velocity about said axis.

13. In a sewing machine having a reciprocatory thread-carrying needle and a rotary-looptaker coordinated therewith in: the production of lock-stitches. a rotary take-up mechanism of which the rotary member comprises a unitary plate-like element rotatable about an axis and having spaced thread-controlling edges extending longitudinally of said element outwardly from its center and arranged on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of said element and adapted to act individually on said thread during different portions of the stitch-forming cycle, and means for rotating said take-up member about its axis.

14. A rotary take-up member for a lockstitch sewing machine having a reciprocatory needle and a circularly moving loop-taker, comprising, a body-portion, a thread-engaging section extending outwardly from said body-portion and provided with opposed thread-controlling edges on which the needle-thread is adapted to slide in and out of the length of the section during different portions of each stitch-forming cycle, and oppositely disposed finger and tail sections formed on the free end of said outwardly extending section providing for precluding accidental unthreading of the take-up during operation thereof.

15. A rotary take-up member for a lock-stitch sewing machine having a reciprocatory needle and a circularly moving loop-taker, comprising, a body-portion, a thread-engaging section extending outwardly from said body-portion and provided with opposed thread-controlling edges on which the needle-thread is adapted to slide in and out of the length of the section durin difierent portions of each stitch-forming cycle, and oppositely disposed finger and tail sections proiecting from the free end of said outwardly extending section and folded back into spaced parallelism with the body-portion of said takeup member, thereby to prevent the needlethread-loop from accidentally falling ofi the take-up during the operation thereof.

16. A sewing machine having in combination, a thread-carrying needle, means for reciprocat- '14 ing said needle, a rotary hook cooperating with said needle to form lock-stitches, means for rotating said hook at a uniform angular velocity twice for each reciprocation of said needle to cause it to seize loops cast out by said needle and pass the seized needle-loop around a lower thread mass, and a needle-thread take-up and slack thread controlling mechanism coordinated with said needle and rotary hook, said mechanism comprising a single plate-like element rotatable about an axis and having a threadengaging section extending outwardly from the axis of rotation of said element providing thread-controlling edges on which the needlethread is adapted to slide in'and out of the length of the'section during different portions ofeach stitch-forming, cycle, and a thread-confining finger formed on the free end of said outwardly extending thread-engaging section and folded back into spaced relation with said section, said finger having its free end terminating at a point beyond the limb of the needle-thread-loop leading from the take-up to the needleat theloo'pseizing point in the stitch-forming cycle.

17. In a sewing machine, a thread-carrying needle, means for reciprocating the same, a rotary loop-taker operated at twice the frequency of said needle'and arranged to cooperate with said needle-thread, a' rotary take-up mechanism of which the rotary ,member'comprises a single plate-like element rotatable about an axis and having a thread-receiving throat and spaced opposed thread-engaging edges each of varying radius from the center of, said element, said thread-engaging edges being spaced apart a distance equal to at least one-half the radial distance of said thread-receiving throat from said center of rotation of said take-up member.

18. In a sewing machine having a reciprocatory thread-carrying needle and a rotary looktaker coordinated therewith and making a plurality of revolutions for each reciprocation of said needle, a rotarv take-up mechanism of which the rotary member comprises solely a single flat plate-like element rotatable about an axis and having a needle-thread take-up threadcontrolling portion and a slack thread-controlling portion, said plate-like element having a section near its periphery ofiset out of the plane of the maior part of said elem nt and about which the needle-thread winds in the event of thread-breakage, a thread-severing device disposed to sever the needle-thread when it winds about said offset section, and means for imparting revolutions at uniform angular velocity to said take-up element.

19. A rotary take-up member for a lock-stitch sewing machine having a reciprocatorv needle and a circularly moving loop-taker, comprising a flat plate-like body-portion provided with a thread-engaging section extending from said body-portion and aflording opposed threadcontrolling edges on which the needle-thread is adapted to slide in and out of the length of the section during difierent portions of each stitch-forming cycle, said section beyond the portion on which the thread operates being bent backwardly into spaced parallelism with said thread-engaging portion, and a weight mass provided on said bent back portion to balance said take-up member.

20. A rotary take-up member for a lockstitch sewing machine having a reciprocatory needle and a circularly moving loop-taker comprising a fia e ate-like hod mertien der ded w a th ea -en a in section at n ns it-9 and in the plane of said body-porti n and at.- ford g oppo d thread-oontrolline ed s 91 which the needle-thread is, :adahted to slide in and out of the length of the seotion during di f ferent portions ,of .eachstitcho-iorrning cycl aid section beyond the portion on which the y operates being bent ybaelrwardly into spaced parallelism with said threadsengagin port-ion thereby to provide means precluding accidental unthreading of the takeenp member, said bent back portion being apertured tofoi'm clearance facilitating the removal of thread abnormally .wound on the taker-up member.

21. "A sewing machine having in combination, a workesupport, a thread-carryingneedle, means for reciprocating said needle, workefeeding mechanism, a rotary hook cooperating withsaid needle to form lock-stitches and journaled to re.-

tate-about an axis normal .to the upper surface of the work-support, means for rotatingsaid hook at a uniform angular yelocity twice foreaoh ree ciprocation of saidneedle to causeit to scize'loops eastiout by said'need-le and pass theseiaedneedle- .a

loop around a lower thread mass, and a needlethread take-.up and slack thread controlling mechanism coordinated with said needle and rotary ghook, said mechanism comprising asingle rotary element operable about a fixed axis and having an elongated thread-engagin and con? trolling surface of varying radius from the axis of rotation of said element, threadeguides for directing the needle-thread transversely across said su fac nd m ans o impa ti a mp ete t nro aii res lution a u if rm a eular vel ci is r a d retary a we e emen v nce r sash needle r 22. A serving machine having in combination, a wot-tem era a thr a -ca y n n ed e means for reciprocating said needle, work-feeding mechanism or adrane es t e 'w k Pas said -.n ei1e, ro y Q0n= a h e a l p-seizing heal; rotating in a, plane transversely of the line of feed, means for rotating said loop-taker at a uniform angular velocity twice i'Oreach reciprocation of ;,s a id needle, and a needle-thread take,-

no and sl ck thr ad c n l ng me hanism coorrotation of said element, thread-guides for directing the needle-thread transversely across said edges, and means for imparting a complete revowhen at niform an l r e c t t sa d rotary ta emp l ment on fo each eedle 'leelpr ee tinn- RAYMOND H. VAN WAGENER. RUSSELL CARMICHAEL. RANK PARRY- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

